


A Helping Hand

by Dimity Blue (Arnie)



Series: Life After Mayfair [3]
Category: You Rang M'Lord?
Genre: Epilogue, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 13:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arnie/pseuds/Dimity%20Blue
Summary: Mabel needs a job.





	A Helping Hand

"All right, our Ivy."

Ivy's jaw dropped and she stared, open-mouthed, at the figure on the kitchen doorstep.

"Dad! What are you doing here?" It was a good thing James was out at the fishmonger's.

"Bringing someone to see you."

Her dad stepped to one side and there was Mabel. She looked thinner than before, and there was a suspicious redness around her eyes, but she gave Ivy one of her rare smiles. "Hello, Ivy."

"Mabel!" Just then, the clouds - which had been threatening rain all day - parted and a deluge began. "You'd best come in."

As they stepped inside and her dad shook water off his expensive-looking hat and overcoat, Ivy was torn between thinking how prosperous he looked, worrying about where he'd got the money from, and hoping James wouldn't be too annoyed at finding her dad and Mabel in the kitchen. As for Mabel, she looked poorer than ever standing next to Ivy's dad.

"Sit down, Mabel, and I'll pour you a nice cup of tea."

"Oh, that'll be nice!"

As soon as Mabel was settled in the seat closest to the stove with a cup of tea in front of her and a plate of biscuits at her elbow, Ivy pulled her dad into the scullery.

"What's going on? Why have you brought Mabel?"

"She needs a job, Ivy."

Ivy's heart sank; she knew who was going to have to give Mabel a job. "I can't do it, Dad! We're not making enough profit yet to hire someone full time!"

"She's got nowhere else to go. With the toffs having lost all their money and the house in Park Lane being sold, she hasn't even got a place to live! And I can't give her a job in the theatre. The owner's got his own cleaners and she'd never make a chorus girl."

"Oh, 'eck!"

"Tell you what I'll do, our Ivy." Alf pulled out his wallet and remove some notes from the thick wad inside.

"Where'd you get all that money from?"

Her dad looked hurt. "I earned it! I told you there were going to be good times for us. People are still going to the theatres, more than they ever were. People need to dream." He handed the note over. "Now, that'll more than cover her wages for the first six months. If you can't afford to keep her on after that, I'll find something else for her."

Ivy gave him a look. James would never admit to doing badly to Alf Stokes, so Mabel would have a job as long as their guest house kept going. Ivy knew her dad knew that too.

"Cross me heart and hope to die!" he added.

Ivy opened her mouth to tell her dad what she thought of that, but then the back door opened and James hurried in. "Ivy, I... What are you doing here?"

"Maybe I've come looking for a job," Alf said, putting on a mournful face.

"A job?!"

Ivy hurriedly intervened. "He hasn't come lookin' for a job! Least, not for him. He's brought Mabel with him."

James looked thunderstruck, then opened the kitchen door. "Mabel!"

By the time Ivy got past her dad and into the kitchen, Mabel was on her feet.

"Afternoon, Mr. Twelvetrees. You do look posh."

Ivy privately thought everyone in a decent coat would look posh to Mabel, but she kept that thought to herself. "Could I have a word with you please? James," Ivy added, partly to remind him they were business partners.

James laid the parcel of fish down on the table. "Of course, Ivy. Excuse us."

James stepped around Alf and Ivy followed him into the scullery and kept her dad out by shutting the door in his face.

"I know we haven't discussed taking anyone on full time, but I think we should give Mabel a job."

He was giving her that look that said 'you're too kind-hearted, Ivy' but all he said was, "We need more money saved before we can give Mabel a job."

In response, Ivy held out the notes.

"There's fifteen pounds there!" James sounded more outraged than surprised.

"Dad gave them to me. It'll more than cover Mabel's wages for the next six months."

"And what does Alf Stokes expect in return?"

"It's just to cover Mabel's wages."

"I know your dad - he's always up to something!"

Ivy knew her dad too. And, for some reason, he had a soft spot for Mabel. "She's got nowhere else to go." Ivy couldn't help but think of herself in that situation. It was all very well while you were strong and could work, but what did you do when you couldn't? There was an old rhyme from her childhood:

Hush-a-bye baby, on the tree top,  
When you grow old, your wages will stop,  
When you have spent the little you made  
First to the Poorhouse and then to the grave

Not for Mabel. Not while Ivy could help her.

"It's not our place," James said. "Where would she even sleep? She couldn't have one of the bedrooms - they're for guests!"

Ivy knew then she'd won, whether James knew it or not. "There's that little room next to mine. It's got a bed in it already!" It was only a small fold up cot but it would do for now. There was even a chest of drawers in there, left over from furnishing Ivy's own room.

James sighed. "Very well, then, since you want this. But we won't take that money; I won't have Alf Stokes thinking he's a partner!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, James Twelvetrees," Alf said through the door.

James pulled open the door but Alf was already over at the table and stealing a biscuit from Mabel's plate. "Where's Mabel's trunk?"

Mabel's face turned hopeful. "Does that mean I'm staying?"

"Of course you're staying!" Ivy said.

James spoke at the same time. "We need someone to do most of the cleaning. Ivy's learning to cook now and doesn't have enough time."

"I won't let you down, Mr. Twelvetrees!" Mabel fumbled for her handkerchief as tears filled her eyes. "I don't want to end up on the streets."

"That's not going to happen, Mabel," James said firmly. "You'll be sleeping in the room next to Ivy's. It's quite compact but you'll have room for your things."

"I've only got me trunk and that's at the station."

"I'll get it sent up when I catch my train." Alf gave James a look as James handed him his fifteen pounds. "I'll be off then." He opened his wallet and made a show of putting the money away. "You take care of yourself, Mabel, and send me a telegram if you need help. Ivy." He pulled her into a hug and murmured into her ear as he pushed the money into her pocket, "Buy Mabel a new coat and keep the rest of that money for emergencies."

Ivy smiled and nodded. "Thanks for coming, Dad." As the door shut behind him, Ivy turned to Mabel. "I'll show you your room."

It wasn't until later that she got to speak with James alone. "I know you didn't want to take Mabel in. Thank you for letting me."

James looked up from the account books he had spread over the kitchen table. "I wouldn't let Mabel be homeless," he said, to her surprise. "We'll manage. We'd need to hire a cleaning woman soon anyway, and at least Mabel's someone we know."

"You're a good man, James Twelvetrees." Ivy couldn't help think of the difference between James and his father. She suspected his father had taken advantage of James far too many times. Perhaps that was why James tried to be harder on people than he needed to be.

"Be that as it may, we'll be all right as long as the bookings keep coming in."

Ivy nodded. "At least I'll have more time to practise my cooking. And I'm sure Mabel will eat the results, whatever they are."

"I'm sure of that, too!" James said.

Just then, Mabel came in from the scullery. "Did I hear my name?"

"I'm going to practice cooking and you get to eat the results," Ivy told her.

Mabel's face lit up. "That'll be nice!"

The end.


End file.
